Jane Atkins

At the age of four Jane started learning the violin and two years later she gained a scholarship to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School. Whilst continuing her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with David Takeno, she won both the 1988 London Philharmonic/Pioneer Young soloist of the Year and the Royal Overseas League competitions, gained second prize in the Lionel Tertis competition and won representation by the Young Concert Artists Trust (YCAT) in 1990.

Since her debut performing the Walton concerto with Kurt Sanderling and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1989, Atkins has appeared as a soloist throughout the UK and Europe, performing with many orchestras, notably the Chamber Orchestra of Europe; the English Chamber and Ulster Orchestras; BBC Symphony; National Orchestra of Wales; the Dutch and Danish Radio orchestras; City of London and Northern Sinfonias; Orchestra of St John’s and the Brunnel Ensemble. As a recitalist she has toured Argentina twice and performed in all the major British festivals including Newbury, Harrogate, Cheltenham and Spitalfields.

Atkins is committed to expanding the viola repertoire and has commissioned and performed many new works. Composers include Ib Norholm, John Woolrich, Diana Burrell and Andrew Toovey. In 2000 Jane gave the British premiere of Dialogue, a work for viola and strings by Jeremy Lubbock. Her contemporary recordings include Woolrich’s Ulysses Awakes, Diana Burrell’s Concerto and Tavener’s Out of the Night, for viola and tenor. Her more recent recordings include the Telemann viola concerto and the newly constructed Bach concerto, both recorded with the Adderbury Ensemble. In January 2007 Atkins recorded Rothko Chapel, by Morton Feldman with James Wood and the New London Chamber Choir.

Jane Atkins was Principal Viola in the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for four years after which she enjoyed a varied chamber and freelance career working as guest principal with the London Sinfonietta, Philharmonia Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2008 she was appointed Principal Viola of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and began teaching at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Earlier this year Jane teamed up with Contralto Sara Mingardo to perform the Brahms songs for a live BBC broadcast from the Wigmore Hall and in November she will be performing works by Mozart, Brahms and Schoenberg with the Brodsky Quartet. Later in the year she joins Alexander Janiczek in performances of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s winter season.